Rochester Crime Spree Suspect Charged With Multiple Felonies
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man arrested in connection with an investigation into a crime spree in September who was previously charged with a violent carjacking in Rochester was arraigned in Olmsted County court today on multiple felony charges involving additional thefts from vehicles and fraud-related crimes.
Rochester Man Faces Multiple Charges in August and September Cases
Nineteen-year-old Dakaree R'Moni Johnson faces felony charges of identity theft, financial transaction card fraud, aiding and abetting financial transaction card fraud, and check forgery. He also faces two misdemeanor theft charges. His bail is set at $50,000.
Court documents indicate the charges stem from crimes reported in late August and September. The first incident occurred on August 27, when Johnson was allegedly involved in the theft of checkbooks and a wallet from two separate vehicles.
According to the criminal complaint, the suspects were driving away from the construction site where the wallet was stolen when their vehicle crashed into a ditch. They then fled on foot. The court document says the stolen checkbooks were found in the crashed vehicle, which belonged to a man who rented it out through an app.
Investigators Cite GPS and Facebook Location Data
The criminal complaint says a Rochester Police Department detective used GPS data to track the vehicle to locations associated with two reports of thefts from vehicles. Information provided by the rental company helped investigators identify Johnson as the person who had rented the vehicle. The charges also state that tracking data from Johnson's Facebook account appeared to match the locations where the wallet and checkbooks were stolen.
The court document indicates that damage to the rental vehicle exceeded $14,000.
Credit Union Reports Nearly $4,800 Loss From Deposited Checks
Also in late August, Johnson is accused of depositing 20 checks into his account at a local credit union through ATMs. The criminal complaint says all the checks were later returned because of a "frozen/blocked account," resulting in a loss of nearly $4,800 to the credit union.
Two additional criminal complaints involve crimes that occurred in mid-September. In one case, a wallet was stolen from a vehicle, and the victim's work and personal financial cards were used to make purchases totaling more than $1,600 at a Rochester business. Court documents say Rochester police investigators used Facebook location data and surveillance video from the store to link Johnson to the alleged fraudulent use of the financial cards.
Johnson is also accused of stealing a wallet from another person's vehicle on the same day and attempting to use financial cards from the wallet to make purchases at a gas station in northwest Rochester. Those attempted transactions totaled more than $1,000.
Arrested in Minneapolis Following Highway 52 Pursuit
Johnson has been in custody since September 18, when he was arrested in Minneapolis. A statement issued that day by the Rochester Police Department indicates officers responded to a report that a wallet and a handgun had been stolen from a vehicle in northwest Rochester and Johnson was identified as one of the suspects in the theft.
READ MORE: 3 Arrested in Rochester Vehicle Theft Crime Spree
The statement says police later located Johnson in a vehicle, which fled when an officer attempted a traffic stop. Rochester police were then notified by the Minnesota State Patrol about reports of the same vehicle being driven recklessly on Highway 52 toward the Twin Cities.
Stolen Handgun Reportedly Recovered After Minneapolis Arrest
The vehicle was tracked to Minneapolis, where Rochester police reported that Johnson and another man were taken into custody. The stolen handgun was also reportedly found inside the vehicle. Johnson was charged with felony fleeing police in connection with an incident.
Multiple Criminal Cases Against Johnson Currently Pending
He also faces a charge of aiding and abetting first-degree carjacking for his alleged involvement in a violent carjacking that occurred in October of last year. Johnson was also charged with theft by swindle in connection with the in connection theft of 6 checks from a local catering company last November.
All of those criminal cases are still pending.
READ MORE: Man Charged After Violent Carjacking in Southeast Rochester
Be Aware of 18 Fugitives Lurking Across The State of Minnesota
Gallery Credit: Christine Manika (TSM)
